Reclining seat



Sept. 30, 1941 A. w. CLARKE ETAL 2,257,156

RECLINING SEAT Filed June 13, 1939' 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTQRS MCZar/{fewa ATTORNEY Z Zen fialpi oerze Sept. 30, 1941.

CLARKE ET AL RECLINING SEAT Filed June 13, 1939 3 Sheets-Sheet 2INVEQNTORS 74 421272 W Clarice Ralph K05225772 ATRN Sipt. 30, 1941.

A. w. CLARKE ETALV RECLINING SEAT Filed June 13, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3Patented Sept. 30, 1941 RECLINING SEAT Allen W. Clarke and Ralph F.Koeneman, St.

Charles, Mo., minors to American Car and. Foundry Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 13, 1939, Serial No.278,882

2 Claims.

This invention relates generally to seats and more particularly toreclining seats for railway cars, buses and the like of the typeProvided with a reclining back and having an automatically adjustableseat cushion.

Various types of reclining seats are now in general use but in amajority of them the seat back only is adjustable. While such seatsprovide a certain amount of comfort for the passenger and reduce to someextent the fatigue of travel, they do not permit as complete relaxationas in the case where the position of the seat cushion is alsoadjustable. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention toprovide a reclining back seat in which the seat cushion is automaticallyslidable into adjusted position upon inclination of the seat back.

Another object of the invention is the provision of a reclining seathaving a back which may be easily shifted by the occupant into aplurality of inclined positions and in which the inclination of the seatcushion is automatically adjusted to conform with the inclination oftheback.

A further object of the invention is the provision of an improved commoncontrol mechanism for the seat back and seat cushion which is readilyaccessible to the occupant of the seat and easy to operate.

These and other objects of the invention will be more clearly understoodby reference to the following description and accompanying drawings, inwhich:

Figure 1 is a side elevation view of the seat with portions thereofbroken away to more clearly show the back reclining mechanism, the

positions of the mechanism and back in reclined position being shown indotted lines;

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing the seat cushionadjusting mechanism;

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a double seat arrangement withcertain partsremoved to better disclose other parts;

Fig. 4 is a rear elevation view of the seat with portions thereof brokenaway to better disclose the adjusting mechanism and its connection withthe seat back and cushion;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation view showing one form of foot restarrangement which may be used for the seat;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on the line Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view showing the manner in which the foot rest issupported by the seat pedestal and base frame;

Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing a Fig. 11 shows thecenter post casting and its attachment to the seat base frame panel.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the invention is shownas embodied in a double seat, which may be either of the revolving orstationary type, supported upon pedestals A and base frame B, or in anyother suitable manner, and provided with a base frame panel C. The panelC is shown as made of wood but obviously may be formed of any othersuitable material such, for example, as pressed steel. The seatcomprises a pair of cushions D having seat frames E slidably supportedon the base panel C, reclining backs F and side frames G, one at eachside of the seat. As clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the side frame G isgenerally rectangular in form and comprises top and bottom member 2 and4, substantially upright members 5 and 8,

I intermediate members In and rib or flange l2, an

upholstered arm rest l3 being secured to the top member 2. At thejuncture of upright member 8 and intermediate member ID the side frameis formed to provide a bearing socket I4 in which one end of a tubularshaft [6 is journaled. There is a pair of these shafts l6, one extendingacross the back of each seat, with their outer ends supported in theside frame bearing sockets while their inner end portions are journaledin bearing I8 formed on the center post casting which is secured, as bythe screws 22, to the seat base panel C substantially centrally of theseat, as shown in Fig. 3. The reclining seat backs F are pivotallysupported on shafts l6 by means of bracket castings 24 and 26 secured toeach side of the back, as by wood screws 28, the bracket castings beingwelded to the shaft. The bracket casting 26, which is adjacent the seatside frame, is formed integral with two spaced, depending arms 30 and 32pivotally connected, respectively, with the sliding seat frame and theback reclining mechanism, as hereinafter described.

The control mechanism for the reclining back consists of an operatinglever or bar 34 pivotally connected at one end portion, as at 36, withthe arm 32 and provided with projections or teeth 38, as shown in Fig.1, arranged slightly forward of the central portion of the lever andadapted to engage similar teeth formed on a block 42 whereby the seatback may be locked in any one of a plurality of inclined positions. Theblock 42 may be secured in any suitable manner to the inner face of asupporting plate 44 Fig. 1 which is riveted or otherwise secured toattaching flanges 46 and 48 formed integral, respectively, withintermediate side frame member ID and the rib member I2. A coil spring50 connected at one end to operating lever 34 and at its other end tothe frame member, Ill constantly urges the lever towards operativeposition. The lever 34 is operated by a plunger 52 having anintermeplunger 52 is reciprocally mounted in an opening formed in theframe member ID and theintermediate portion 64 of the plunger isprovided with an opening through which the forward end portion ofoperating lever 34 extends. A coil spring 68 which surrounds the plungerstem 68 .isseated between the boss 58 and the intermediate portion 54 ofthe plunger and serves to retain the latter in normal position.

From the above description it will be seen that by depressing theplunger 52 the lever 34 will be swung downwardly against the tension ofspring 58 to disengage the teeth 38, thus permitting the seat back to bereclined as desired. Upon release of the plunger the lever 34, throughthe action of spring 50, will be brought back into teeth engagingposition to lock the seat back in its adjusted position. v

The sliding seat or cushion frames E are formed by flat bar side members62, one at each side of the frame, having ofiset forward end portions orseat frame extensions 64 to each of which is secured a bracket 66carrying a roller 68, as shown in Fig. 2 and Fig. 3, the side membersbeing joined together by front and rear angle members Ill and I2,respectively, welded thereto, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The cushionmay be held in place on the seat frame by any suitable means such as theretaining member 14 attached to the bottom panel 16 of the cushion andprojecting through a slot in the rear angle 12, as

shown in Figs. 2 and 3, and by wood block 18 positioned against thefront angle 10. An operating arm 80 is welded or otherwise secured'toone of the shafts l6 adjacent the center post casting 28, as shown inFig. 4, and pivotally connected at the inner side of the seat frame, asis arm 30 at the opposite side of the frame, to one of the lugs 82welded to the rear angle member 12. The base frame panel C at its frontedge portion is formed toprovide a rearwardly inclined or slopingportion 84 to which are secured wear strips 86 on which the rollers 68ride during sliding movement of the seat cushion. It is believed clearfrom the foregoing description that upon inclination of the seat backthe cushion will be moved forward and its front end portion elevated byreason of the rollers 68 riding on the inclined wear strips 86, thusautomatically adjusting the angular position of the cushion with that ofthe seat back.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the seat may be provided with front and rearfoot rests 88 and 90, respectively, preferably formed of tubularstainless steel, carried by supporting members 92. The outer supportingmember is pivotally supported from the seat pedestal, as shown in Fig.7, by means of the pin 94 which extends through trunnion casting 96,while the inner supporting member is similarly supported from the seatbase frame B. A spring catch 98 is provided at each side of the seatwith which the supporting member is adapted to be engagedto retaineither one of the foot rests in raised or out-of-use position while theother foot rest is retained in lower or in-use position.

In the modified form of foot rest arrangement shown in Fig. 8 the footrests 88 and 90 are independently supported; that is, there is a pair ofsupporting members I80 for each foot rest pivotally supported at theirend portions by pin 84 passing through trunnion casting 96 in a mannersimilar to the arrangement shown in Fig. 5, and as clearly shown in Fig.9. The trunnion casting 86 in this instance, however, is formed withbottomwalls or ledges I82, as clearly shown in Figs. 8'and 10, at eachside of the pivot point, which serves as an abutment or stop forsupporting the foot rest in the lowered or in-use position. The springcatch 98 in this modified arrangement is provided for the same purposeas previously described in connection with the foot rest shown in Fig.5.

While the invention has been described in more or less detail, it isobvious that various changes may be made in the arrangement of parts andall such changes are contemplated as come within the scope of thefollowing claims.

What is claimed is: v

1. In a reclining seat, a seat base comprising a base frame and a baseframe panel supported thereby, said base frame panel includingrearwardly inclined portions positioned at the forward part of the baseframe panel and extending above the rest of the panel, a seat memberincluding a seat frame, forwardly directed extensions carried by andextending above said seat frame, a seat frame panel resting adjacent itsfront end on said forwardly directed extensions and at its rear end onsaid seat frame adjacent the lower edge of the seat frame, whereby saidseat frame panel normally extends forwardly in an upwardly inclinedposition to provide a clearance between the seat frame panel and thebottom of the seat frame for the reception of the rearwardly inclined.portions of the base frame panel, and rollers carried by the seat framepanel for travel over the inclined portions of the base frame panelwhereby the seat frame panel and seat frame are elevated upon forwardmovement over the base frame.

2. In a reclining seat, a seat base comprising a base frame and a baseframe panel supported thereby, said base. frame panel includingrearwardly inclined portions positioned at the forward part of the baseframe panel and extending above the rest of the panel, a seat memberincluding a seat frame, forwardly directed extensions carried by andextending above said seat frame, a seat frame panel resting adjacent itsfront end on said forwardly directed extensions and at its rear end onsaid seat frame adjacent the lower edge of the seat frame, whereby saidsea-t frame panel normally extends forwardly in an upwardly inclinedposition to provide a clearance between the seat frame panel and thebottom of the seat frame for the reception of the rearwardly inclinedportions of the base frame panel, rollers carried by the seat framepanel for travel over the inclined portions of the base frame panelwhereby the seat frame panel and seat frame are elevated upon forwardmovement over the base frame, a seat back hingedly mounted on the base,a downwardly depending arm secured to said seat; back and seat memberand being so formed and arranged as to move said seat member forwardinto inclined position upon inclination of said seat back, and meansincluding a lever pivotally connected with said arm for controlling theinclination of said seat back, said means adjustably engaging a portionof the seat frame.

' ALLEN W. CLARKE.

RALPH F. KOENEMAN.

